Shuffle! Wishes
by Super Smasher
Summary: "It's about time I told you the story." Itsuki murmured. "It's a story of love and hope, and a story of will and wishes. It's going to be unbelievable at first. This is the real story of Tsuchimi Rin and the man hidden in his shadow." OC, Possible Lime
1. Shuffle! A True Beginning!

**Shuffle! Wishes**

**A Shuffle! Fanfic**

**By: Super Smasher**

**Disclaimer: All licensed characters and their respective IP are property of Navel. Used without permission.**

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><p><strong>October 9<strong>**th****, 2011**

The end is nigh.

This thought kept playing through my head over and over again, like a broken record. Concentrating on the walk down the bleak, stark white hallway to the interrogation rooms was the least of my concerns. My partners' expressions were blank, not deathly serious like mine. But what were they to be worried about? Sure, their worlds were about to enter a deadly and costly all-out magical war, in which there were bound to be many casualties on both sides. But their worlds weren't going to be the battlefield.

As we reached the end of the hallway, I remembered that humanity's final chance could rest upon the man behind this door.

Somebody give me some coffee.

Retrieving my keycard from its place of honor in my jacket, I quickly swiped it through the scanner located to the right of the door. There was a small click as the lock disengaged and we were permitted access. As the door swung open, the man sitting in the interrogee's chair looked up at us with his usual sheepish grin. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with short, golden-brown hair set over similarly colored eyes, hidden behind rectangular-rimmed glasses. I dreaded every minute I spent with this man, who I liked to call the scum of the universe.

"Ah, my lovely investigators! To what do I owe this most memorable day?" He swiped his hand through his hair in an attempt to act cool. I just sighed. I'd already made it clear that we weren't going to accept any of his flirting crap, but it seems that he was going to take his chance anyway.

"Are you truly asking that?" Cynara queried, shaking her head. Her hair swung from side to side, displaying her daintily pointed ears. "If you'd just unclam and tell us what we want to know, you'd have been out of here a long time ago. Unless…" She placed a finger under his chin and raised his head, so that his eyes were looking into hers. "You're a glutton for punishment, aren't you?"

I sighed, for what seemed like the billionth time during this case. Cynara was a well-known dominatrix in our department, and she never seemed to get tired of teasing this poor man…well, I guess "poor" isn't the right word since, as evidenced by his near drooling, he was quite enjoying himself.

"Midoriba Itsuki, twenty-six years old." Pertya read from her tablet. The boy turned his head away from the smirking Cynara to gaze at the woman with the longest ears in the room. "Graduated from Verbena Academy in Koyo-cho in 2004 at the top of his class." This was her first time interrogating him, as Aster, our usual third member, was on vacation.

"Aha! Another beautiful young lady!" Itsuki's eyes gleamed. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" Pertya was taken aback at this, her hands waving in a "no-no-no" gesture. Itsuki just smiled that lopsided little smile of his and hung his head, resting his forearms on his legs.

"Let's get down to business." I said, taking a seat across the table from him. Cynara sat down to my right, Pertya to my left. "I'm going to ask you the same questions I ask you every single time, Midoriba. This time, I want an answer."

"Ha." Itsuki smirked, shrugging his arms nonchalantly. "Don't be miffed. I don't answer questions you shouldn't be asking."

Pertya raised her eyebrows and looked at us. I shook my head, while Cynara just sighed. He said the same thing every time.

"Well, I won't beat around the bush. Where is Tsuchimi Rin?" I demanded.

He just rolled his eyes. "There you go again, asking questions that don't pertain to your objective."

"It has **everything** to do with it!" Cynara said, standing up and slamming her hands on the table simultaneously. "We know! We know that he's the only person she would be with!"

"Hmmm…you'd think that, wouldn't you?" Midoriba smirked. "Listen, I'll start giving you the right answers once you start asking the right questions."

Pertya looked thoughtful for a second, and then piped up. "So you're saying that she's alone? Wandering this world by herself?"

"I wouldn't say that." he replied, glasses glinting in the light reflected from the lamp shining on him. "After all, remember who we're talking about. She doesn't get close to people. She has to know them for a while to trust them."

All of a sudden, his facial expression soured, and his overall attitude became much became serious. This was what I'd been waiting for. Every time his demeanor changed like this, it meant he was about to say something important. "October 11th, 1993. January 17th, 1995. December 11th, 1999. December 20th, 2002. June 14th, 2003. What's so special about those dates?"

The three of us were taken aback. I glanced over to the mirror on the wall and nodded. Instantly those dates popped up on Pertya's tablet. While she was executing a search, I was racking my brain for what those dates meant. Something was awfully familiar about some of them…

"October 11th, 1993…Isn't that the day the Humans opened the gates to the worlds of the Gods and Demons?" Cynara cocked her head thoughtfully. Itsuki nodded, smirking.

"Yes, that's right. It's an important fact taught to everyone in the Human world, because it's a day our lives changed forever. For some of us, the gate openings brought love and joy. For others…" he trailed off, as if remembering something depressing.

"I remember January 17th." I said suddenly. "That was the day of the Great Hanshin Earthquake." My partners looked at me quizzically. "Over four and a half thousand people died in Kobe alone."

Itsuki smiled again. "Yes. We're told that the earthquake was caused by the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate. But that's not the only memorable event that occurred on that day. Something else happened, something that changed the course of the world yet again. Didn't anybody stop to wonder about it?"

"Didn't the doors between the worlds close?" Pertya looked sideways at me. "If I recall correctly, they cut off the connections between the worlds until…" Her eyes widened at her own realization. "December 20th, 2002." She glanced down at her tablet, then gave us a nod of confimation, that this was one of the dates Itsuki had mentioned.

"Alright, I'm getting fed up with this runaround, Midoriba." I finally stepped in, putting a stop to these awkward speculations. "You think you can confuse us by spewing out a couple of historical dates in God-Demon-Human relations?"

"Hey, in all honesty, I'm just trying to help, Investigator. It's not my problem if you can't see the story that lies within." There he went again, with his "story that lies within." It was his favorite phrase to use when we were getting nowhere.

"Listen, you." Cynara leaned over the table and grabbed Itsuki by his shirt collar, lifting him slightly out of his chair. "I don't care at all about your little story. All we need to know is where Primula is. You tell us that, we'll let you go."

Itsuki turned a little pale. Cynara had never done this before. "I don't know **where** she is! But I do know **who **she's with!"

"So do we," I alleged, slamming my hands on the table. "She's with Tsuchimi Rin."

"How many times do I have to tell you people before you understand? You aren't seeing the whole picture!" he begged, trying to wiggle his way free of Cynara's grip, but to no avail.

"Cynara-san," Pertya pleaded. "Can I talk to him for a minute?" Cynara nodded, and released her grip, causing Itsuki to slump back down in his chair, breathing heavily. "Midoriba-kun, you keep telling us that we're missing something, an important detail. What do you know that we don't have a record of?"

"That's impossible." Cynara shook her head violently. "There's nothing we don't have a record of. There's just no way."

"Of course there's a way." Itsuki gasped, finally regaining his composure. "It's possible that with the discovery of the gates, several things went unnoticed in the clamor. Say, for instance…the scientists who opened the gates."

"The scientists?" Pertya questioned, looking at me. I just shrugged. I had no idea. She went back to her tablet and started a quick search. After a couple seconds, she spoke up again. "I found them…Takuya and Miu Shirakawa."

"You're on the trail." Itsuki nodded, becoming serious again. "So, we know who opened the gates, but what happened to them, huh? Whatever became of the Shirakawas, destined to go down in memory for all eternity by opening the gates between the worlds?" Pertya scanned the information again for a brief second.

"Shirakawa Takuya passed away…on…January 17th…1995." she gasped, looking at me with a mix of horror and amazement. "He was killed during the Great Hanshin Earthquake Disaster."

"Yes. But remember, he was only one-half of the team. Whatever happened to the other half, I wonder?" Itsuki was obviously leading us along at his own pace, which, I'd have to admit, was rather strenuous.

"Shirakawa Miu most likely continued to work on the doors…she was probably the head of the team that reopened them in 2002." Cynara, who had been quiet since she had been hushed, spoke up. "At least, that's what I'm guessing happened."

"True that. But that's not the exact name you'd find in those records…is it? After all, eight years is a long time to go without love. Love is the key to all things in this world!" Itsuki had finally reverted to his smooth-talking flirt mode. And to be honest, I'd had just about enough of this charade.

"Listen here, Midoriba. You've got us following the trail of a no-name scientist duo that have absolutely nothing to do with the location of the most powerful living weapon on the planet! Have you looked at the newspaper we bring you every day? Our worlds are on the brink of war! And this girl, this homunculus, could be the thing that saves our race from utter annihilation!"

"That's where you're wrong." Itsuki shook his head, serious once more. "They have **everything** to do with her. I think your beautiful lady friend has figured that out." He motioned to Pertya, who was covering her mouth as she stared down at the tablet.

"The person who was in charge of the gate reopening…was a woman. A woman by the name of…Fuyoh Miu."

Itsuki's eyes glinted. "Bingo."

"What bingo?" Cynara asked. "So she got remarried. What's the big deal?"

"It was Fuyoh Mikio," Pertya whispered, her voice small and unbelieving. "The legal guardian of Tsuchimi Rin."

The room was suddenly silent. There wasn't even a peep from the other side of the mirror.

((A/N: For added dramatic effect, please visit YouTube and look up "Mirage Lullaby", then play it while reading.))

"I guess it's about time I told you the story." Itsuki murmured, standing up from his chair and heading over to the mirror, looking straight at his own reflection. "And you'd better be taking notes, because this is a story about truth, and about ideals. It's a story of love and hope, and a story of will and wishes. It's going to be unbelievable at first." He turned towards us.

"This is the real story of Tsuchimi Rin and the man hidden in his shadow."

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><p><strong>Shuffle! Wishes<strong>

Well, that's the first chapter down! They say the first one is always the hardest, so it should be all downhill from here!

I'd like to take this time to point out one thing: This is a RETELLING. That means that for a good portion of the story, many lines will be reused from the game and anime. So if you've only experienced one or the other, this will be a great story for you. If you've experienced both, expect a lot of things you've seen before. Just gonna say that right now, so any negative comments concerning this will be regarded as flames of ignorance.

I'd also like to thank my three awesome Beta Readers who put up with the brain mush that is the first chapter. They are the amazing trio of Karsten69, who made me realize it was a good idea to keep the direct to Mirage Lullaby in, when it was just meant as a bit of a joke in the beta stage, IzzyLawliet69, who really helped keep the flow of the story alive and well, and was overall super excited about the story itself, and hopelina, the Goddess of Grammar, who fixed every single mistake that I had no idea I was making. Thanks, guys!

Reads are great, Reviews are better, check out my other stories if you like! I'll be seeing you again real soon!


	2. Rin! Encounters of the Nonhuman Kind!

**Shuffle! Wishes**

**A Shuffle! Fanfic**

**By: Super Smasher**

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><p><strong>June 13<strong>**th****, 2004**

"What do you think about that lady?"

"Hmm… She's pretty nice. I'd give her 75 points out of 100."

"Only 75 points? I think she deserves at least 80."

"You can't have a shallow view. There are a lot more beautiful ladies in this world. If you give her 80 points, there're only 20 left for other ladies who are above her."

"I see… You are persuasive, Oji-san."

"I've been living a little longer than you have. I think you have pretty keen eyes for your age, young man."

"I haven't showed my real ability yet. Itsuki Midoriba is a legend at Verbena Academy. I'll continue to judge the ladies with my strict eyes!"

"You are a student of Verbena Academy, huh? How bright is that?"

"Hahahahaha!"

"Hahahahaha!"

It was a Sunday right before the rainy season. Both the temperature and humidity were steadily increasing. He was staring and listening to their ridiculous conversation, as if he was watching a comedy show from a VIP seat.

"When are you going to stop that nonsense, Itsuki?" He wondered aloud with a sigh.

"Hey! When did you get here, Rin?" Itsuki inquired, turning around and looking at him for the first time.

"I've been here since about 30 seconds before our meeting time…" They were standing outside of the station.

"…Rin? Is he your friend?" The other man asked, after finally noticing Rin standing next to them.

"Yeah, kind of." Itsuki assented, cringing a bit at his sudden realization. "I forgot that I was here to meet you…"

"I came rushing here to make it on time!" Rin declared, visibly upset at this rather strange turn of events.

"In this heat?" Itsuki asked, almost condescendingly. "Good for you, but you could have taken your time. I wouldn't be mad if you were a little late."

"I thought your motto was to be generous when the ladies are late, but savage when the guys are!" The turns this conversation was taking were only making Rin angrier. "In fact, the last time I was late by three minutes, you made me buy a porn video using my name!"

"Oh, that video wasn't good at all." Itsuki frowned, as if remembering something that he'd have preferred to forget. "It was obvious that the lead actress was lying about her age. It pissed me off, so I sent the copy to a gossip magazine anonymously with the vendor's address."

"You remember that I bought it under my name, right? If something happens, I'll be responsible for everything…!"

"Just don't cause any trouble for Kaede-chan if that happens."

"Sometimes I wonder why I'm still your friend…" Rin mused. He and Itsuki had been classmates and friends ever since they had entered the academy, but sometimes he just didn't understand why he became his friend. He likes pretty girls, and his hobby is picking them up. His existence must be one of God's jokes, since the shallow flirt has the most intelligent brain in the academy.

"Hmm. Friendship is a beautiful thing. You must treasure your friends." The man sincerely stated, after having been quiet for a while during their exchange. Rin turned to look at him closely for the first time since he had arrived.

"…Who is this?" He was taller than Rin, but not by much. His silvery hair was a bit longer than Itsuki's, and his red, slanted eyes were sincere, but with a slight touch of playfulness to them.

"I met him while I was picking up girls as I waited for you." Itsuki explained. "We were getting along with each other."

"Yes." The man agreed. "Ladies are eternal mystery for us men. We clicked with each other as comrades who continue to search for that secret." His clean-cut look and calm attitude betrayed the fact that he was a mature adult. Also, his long, pointy ears represented the fact that he wasn't human.

The Demons.

Ever since the door to the other worlds opened ten years ago, it had become common to see them around here. You could see them on the streets; even some students at the academy were Demons. The fact that the man in front of him was a Demon didn't surprise Rin in the slightest. However…

"Are you surprised to see a Demon?" The man asked with a wry smile, noticing that Rin had been staring at him. Rin immediately became slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, excuse me. It's not that, but I felt like I've seen you somewhere before…"

"You have?" The Demon had quite a look of surprise on his face.

"I thought I met you somewhere a long time ago…but I think I'm just mistaken." Rin explained quickly. "I don't know any Demons around your age."

"Hey Rin…" Itsuki butted into the conversation. "Why don't you try to pick up a girl instead of him…?" He then stepped about five meters away from Rin with a cold expression.

"Don't be serious, man…" Rin sighed.

"Shall we continue now?" The man asked. "We are three handsome men. We must use this to our advantage."

"Well…" Rin stopped to contemplate for a moment. "I'm not really interested in picking up girls."

"Hey Rin. This isn't about whether you have an interest or not." Itsuki frowned, approaching again. "For example, there are different talents in this world. The talent of art, the talent of writing, and the talent of music… Do you think it's a bad thing to develop those talents? It's not, right? People will praise a person with artistic talent when he paints a wonderful painting. He deserves to be praised.

"The way we look is the same thing. Our appearances are one of the gifts that we were born with. If a woman with a talent to become beautiful becomes beautiful, we should be praising her effort, right? She was born with an ability to be beautiful and she developed her talent. As men, we have a responsibility to praise those women.

"In other words, picking up girls is a form of praise from us men to those ladies." Itsuki finished, giving Rin a slight wink, as if to accent his statement.

"…You are full of trash…" Rin just shook his head. Itsuki's attitude was full of confidence. Rin wished he could talk back to him, but nothing came to mind to refute his claims.

"Now that he's convinced, let's move on." The Demon suggested. "What good timing! Look at that lady. Her face, body, and style are all first class! It would be a disgrace if we didn't talk to a lady like her." He pointed at the lady passing in front of them as if he was a fisherman who was reeling in a big catch for the first time in quite a while.

…But at that moment, both Rin and Itsuki went pale.

"Wait, Oji-san! She's not good…" Itsuki screamed, reaching his arm out and grabbing the man's shoulder, as if to protect him from danger. However, the man quickly removed Itsuki's arm and gave the girl a fresh smile.

"Hello, beautiful lady. By any chance, are you alone now?" Even a typical phrase turns into fine wine when a handsome guy is saying it. He had the sweetest smile on his face, and the way he carried himself was so smooth. Everything about him seemed so perfect; he had no need for fancy words. That simple phrase would have been enough to mow over almost any lady's heart.

_I wonder how many women in this world can deny this guy…_ Rin thought to himself.

However…

"I'm not trying to brag about this, but I'm tired of hearing the word beautiful. You're not complimenting me at all."

He chose the wrong lady this time.

"I guess it's too late…" Rin whispered to Itsuki.

"I'm going to run away." Itsuki grimaced, trying to make himself as small as possible to hopefully avoid notice. "I'll see you later, Rin."

"I don't think so…" Rin disagreed, seeing the inherent flaws in the flirt's plan.

"We can win if we leave without her seeing us." Itsuki reasoned. "As long as there's no corpse, they can't prove it's murder. Just like our situation."

"I don't know what you mean by that, but she's already staring at us…" Rin pointed out. Itsuki's face drained of any color that might have been left in it.

"…**What the hell?"** Itsuki raised his voice in a half-shout, half-strangulation, as he quickly turned around.

Nadeshiko Benibara. She was the world history instructor and Rin and Itsuki's homeroom teacher at Verbena Academy. The students have high respect towards her policy that values effort and friendship. However, her serious personality could be a disaster for a free-spirited student like Itsuki. Her sharp brown eyes were totally locked onto him.

Suddenly, she smiled beautifully as if she was tempting every man around her. "I'm not going to blame you for picking up girls, but you need to explain to me why you skipped my extra lesson, Midoriba."

"Well, ummm…" Itsuki stuttered.

"Which do you prefer?" Nadeshiko asked with a slightly devilish smile on her face. "Running fifty laps around the track while pulling a tire, or jumping up and down the stairs thirty times?"

"Game over for you." Rin smiled, without a hint of sympathy in his voice.

"At least say checkmate…" Itsuki frowned. The full weight of the gravity of the situation seemed to finally begin to make an impression on him as he was taken away. Surely he'd be dead by tomorrow from the sore muscles. Benibara-sensei's discipline was very passionate.

"Hmm. I never thought that beautiful lady was your teacher." The man looked after Itsuki and Nadeshiko disappearing in the distance with a bit of sadness in his eyes. "I feel bad for him."

"He's at fault for skipping the extra lesson." Rin reasoned.

"What are you going to do now?" The Demon asked. Rin just shrugged.

"Well, my friend is off to a date, so I guess I'll just hang out for a bit, and then go home."

"I see. Farewell then. Please tell your friend that I had a good time."

"Sure. Good-bye."

"Yes, good-bye…for now." The Devil disappeared into the city, his long coat fluttering behind him.

…_Good bye for now? Does that mean we're going to see each other again…?"_ Rin thought.

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><p>"I guess I should grab a carton of milk." Rin decided. He wasn't sure if they were out or not, but if he phoned home to ask Kaede, she would have just told him to not worry about it, so he decided to just buy it and give it to her. Rin walked toward the shopping arcade while thinking of her pretty face. He could almost hear her voice saying "I'll do the groceries myself. Please just wait at home, Rin-kun."<p>

The supermarket was almost empty at this time of day. Now that he was here, he might as well pick some other things up as well. Surely Kaede or Kire could cook anything with whatever ingredients he brought home. Mr. and Mrs. Fuyoh were out on business trips, so they could take a few liberties with the menu.

"First, I need to get some meat." Rin said aloud, heading towards the meat section.

"Hmm…This one seems to be cheaper when I calculate it per gram, but I guess this one is cheaper as a whole… Dad eats a lot… so maybe this one is a better buy… But we can try something like this… but no, no. The other store sells this cheaper…"

Now this was a rare sight to witness. A young girl was staring at the meat products with all the bearing of a wise housewife. She was a very pretty girl, with long, brown hair that had a slightly red tint, and large, friendly yellow eyes. Rin was used to seeing beautiful girls, but he could tell that her beauty was something special; Itsuki would have gone crazy if he had been here. Then, Rin saw her ears.

_A God…?_ Her ears were long, though not as long as a Demon's. Also, she was surrounded by a bright atmosphere. That's not to say that the Demons are surrounded by darkness, but that feeling, that aura, was the defining difference between Demons and Gods. _Although, Mayumi is a different case…_

Anyway, it was rare to see a pretty girl from a different world thinking hard in the supermarket like a frugal housewife. Rin had only seen something like this in the academy's cooking club.

Suddenly, the girl looked up at Rin, and they made eye contact. Immediately, Rin wondered if she thought he was suspicious. An awkward silence continued for a while as they stared at each other. All of a sudden, her face lit up with a bright smile.

"Hey, which do you think I should buy, Rin-kun?" She asked.

"W… What?" Rin stuttered, taken aback by the sudden need for his opinion.

"I've narrowed it down to these two, but I don't know which one to get." She proffered two packages of meat. "There's a big eater in my house, so I'm wondering if I should get two of these smaller packs, or one huge pack. I can't make a decision!" She looked happily befuddled. "So which one should I get?"

"Well… If he's eating that much, I think you should get two packs…" Rin answered, compelled by her bright and innocent smile. To be honest, he'd never given much thought to a situation like this.

"You think so? I guess you're right. My dad really eats a lot… Alright, I'm going to get two of these packs!" Taking Rin's advice, she put the two smaller packs into her shopping basket with a smile. "Thank you. I think I'm going to make the time limit for the bargain sale." She seemed happy, but suddenly, wanting pout crossed her face. "Aww, but I don't have much time left. I wish I could stay with you longer… I'm sorry, but I have to get to the pharmacy near the station; they're having a limited time sale on toilet paper."

"Umm… It's not a big deal. Don't worry about me…" Rin stammered. This girl seemed to have a lot of energy; he was being drawn into her pace. It felt like she was moving at a totally different speed than he was.

"Thank you very much. I'll see you again, Rin-kun!" She bowed deeply to Rin and disappeared towards the registers, waving as she went. It might have just been a trick of his eyes, but Rin thought he caught a glimpse of her baby blue underwear as she fled the scene.

"Her energy level is close to Asa-sempai's…" He smiled wryly and went back to staring at the products to find food for his own house.

* * *

><p>Rin was walking back from the shopping arcade. The plastic bags were weighing down both his arms, heavy with all the food he'd bought.<p>

"I guess we don't have to go grocery shopping for a while." As a freeloader, Rin felt that he needed to help out the Fuyoh family as much as he could, especially Kaede. _I can't let her be devoted to me all the time._ He was planning to tell her that he'd bought the groceries only because he was getting something else from the store at the same time. That way, she'd have no choice but to accept them. "I'll fold the plastic bags up for her too. I know I'm faster at that than she is."

_Bokutachi wa. Imamou… Tsuzuku keredo.  
>Now, though still continuing.<em>

As he turned the corner, his thoughts were interrupted by the sudden presence of music running through his ears. It sounded as pure as a glass sculpture. Both the voice and the melody were beautiful and smooth. It wasn't like Rin had great interest in music, but he couldn't help stopping. There was a mysterious power to the song that made him pay attention. Rin's feet started moving toward the direction from whence the music was coming.

He turned the corner opposite to the way back home and saw a small park ahead. It was kind of hard to call it a park, though. It was a small space surrounded by houses, and all it had was a swing and a sandbox. Rin fondly remembered playing there when he was small. However, the children of the city stopped going there once the big park with the fountain was built at the other end of the neighborhood.

_Anata no shigusa… Anata no koemo…  
>Your gesture… your voice…<em>

"I always liked this park, though," he mused out loud. The song was coming from the park. The old swing was making a squeaking noise; a girl was sitting on it.

Her silky blue hair reached down to her waist. She had a skinny body and a small head. She wasn't tall at all, but her limbs were long. She took Rin's breath away, just like the beautiful voice coming from her lips.

_Hitotsu hitotsu omoidashite mireba.  
>If I remember them one by one.<em>

"A Demon…?" She had the unique long ears, just like the other two people Rin had encountered that day. Those ears were the proof that they weren't Human. He could tell from her atmosphere that she was one of the Demons. Putting the plastic bags down, he closed his eyes to listen to her voice.

His body was surrounded by her melody, and he felt strange, as if the song was causing him to melt. The song itself seemed alive with warmth.

_Nazeka-  
>Somehow-<em>

"Oh…" She suddenly stopped singing.

As Rin opened his eyes, the girl was staring at him with embarrassment. "Oh, I'm sorry… Did I scare you?" He bowed, realizing that he'd interrupted her singing.

"No…" She seemed surprised, but quickly gave him a smile. "I was a little surprised, but please don't mind." Her speaking voice was as pure and beautiful as her song. Rin's face turned red just from listening to it. He scratched his cheek and looked away from her, whilst taking a few steps closer toward her.

"You're a good singer." Rin complimented her. He was a bit ashamed of the fact that it was all he could say, but he couldn't help it. At a time like this, he actually almost respected Itsuki.

"That's not true. There are so many other people who can sing better than me," she answered humbly. For some reason, Rin could see sadness in her smile. "I thought no one was here, so I feel a bit embarrassed." She had red, upward eyes, and slightly flushed cheeks. Her long hair was done with a black bow. He couldn't keep his eyes off her pretty face. Every part of her fit like a puzzle, completing her perfect look.

Suddenly, the chimes telling the children that it was time to head home played over the loudspeaker in the park. "I'm sorry, but I need to get going." She quietly got off the swing with a sad expression on her face.

"Oh… I'm sorry for interrupting you…" Rin apologized yet again.

"Don't worry. I'm glad that we got to talk with each other." She smiled softly again. "I'm looking forward to seeing you again, Rin-sama."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you too. I would like to hear your song again."

"Sure, if there's another chance…"

She left the park, taking her beautiful smile with her. Rin sighed deeply as she disappeared from view. "What a day… I met so many people from different walks of life." He recalled the flirty guy he'd met earlier and the girl he'd just met… Rin didn't usually talk with many Demons outside of the academy. "I also spoke with the God girl too…" He smiled to himself, but then came to a startling realization.

"Did I tell them my name…?"

Rin looked toward the direction in which she had left, but she was no longer there. "Do they go to the academy?" If they knew his name, that meant he'd introduced himself to them in the past. _I don't think I'd forget beautiful girls like that, though…_

"Well… If we're acquainted, then I guess we'll see each other somewhere again." There wasn't any point thinking too hard about this issue. They'd both mentioned that they'd be seeing each other again in the future, so Rin was sure that he'd bump into them sooner or later. Picking up the grocery bags, he walked out of the park.

It was almost the rainy season. A long and gloomy time was approaching. However, hot sunny days would arrive soon after. Summer time, with special hope and excitement, was drawing near.

That magical season was getting close.

* * *

><p><strong>Shuffle! Wishes<strong>

There's the second chapter done! They say the second one is always the hardest, because you just poured everything out into the first one...

Anyways, this chapter is the straight-up events of the very beginning of the game. I didn't want to introduce my OC just yet, so that you readers could get the feeling that you'll be seeing a lot of events and stuff that you already know.

Look forward to new material in the next chapter!


	3. The Fuyoh House! Calm Before A Storm!

**Shuffle! Wishes**

**A Shuffle! Fanfic**

**By: Super Smasher**

* * *

><p><strong>June 14<strong>**th****, 2004**

"Rin-kun?" A familiar voice was calling. "It's time to wake up, Rin-kun."

It was the same soft voice he heard every morning. Vaguely, he realized that the time to wake up had arrived again.

"Rin-kun."

"Mmm…" Rin opened his eyes gradually, battling sleepiness.

"Good morning, Rin-kun." He saw a pretty girl with a big smile on her face. "I was going to pull your blanket off if you didn't wake up soon," she said, letting go of his comforter.

"Ugh…" Rin moaned. "I don't care if you pull it off, but just let me sleep a little bit more… I was up late last night studying for the English test we have today…"

"You were studying?" The slightly sarcastic surprise was evident in her voice. Rin knew he couldn't put anything past her.

"No… I was trying to study, but I didn't make it to my desk."

She grinned at his reply. "It's okay if you want to sleep longer, but you'll have no time for breakfast. I made your favorite mushroom miso soup for you this morning… If you don't hurry, Kire's going to eat it all…"

"Hmm… That sounds very tempting… What can I do? Eating is as crucial as sleeping…" His appetite knocked out the sleepiness in the first 28 seconds of Round 1. Cementing his decision, Rin groggily climbed out of his bed.

"Here are your clothes." She left his uniform by the pillow with a large smile on her face.

"You're reading my mind, aren't you, Kaede…?"

"I'm not trying to read your mind. I just know what you like."

Fuyoh Kaede. She and Rin had been friends since childhood. Their fathers had been good friends; the Tsuchimi and Fuyoh families were very close. Rin had been living with her family ever since his parents passed away eight years ago. Kaede lost her mother in the same accident, and had been doing most of the household chores since then.

"Breakfast is ready, so come downstairs as soon as you can!"

"All right…" She left the room, beaming after seeing Rin's sleepy face.

* * *

><p>"Here, Rin-kun. Eat up." Kaede proffered Rin a bowl of soup.<p>

"Hey, Kaede… I know I've said this before, but I'd be fine with just having some toast for breakfast…" Rin nearly pleaded.

"If you want toast, then let's eat western-style tomorrow." Kaede said thoughtfully. "Now, what else…"

"Bacon and eggs!" The teen sitting next to Rin spoke up for the first time this morning. "Onion soup also goes with it pretty well, too."

"No, what I mean is…" Rin stammered, drawing looks from the other two. "it must be hard to make a full breakfast like this every morning."

"Rin… You seriously need to learn to let this go." The boy brushed his dark brown bangs away from his face, and let his brilliant blue eyes send Rin a clear message.

Shirakawa Kire. He and Rin had been friends almost as long as he and Kaede. Their parents had all attended school together, and Kire's father had passed away in an accident about half a year before the one that took Kaede's mother and Rin's parents. A few years later, his mother and Kaede's father married, and Kire and Kaede became stepsiblings.

"No, it's not hard at all." Kaede replied. "Taking care of you is what I live for!" She said in a way that implied that she enjoyed taking care of both Rin and Kire, but Rin knew what she really meant was that she wanted to take care of **him**.

"Is there a problem?" Kire asked suspiciously, but with a smile. He was the happy-go-lucky sort, whose good mood never seemed to end. In fact, Rin couldn't remember the last time he had seen Kire angry, or even sad.

"Uh…no…um…can I get some more tea?" Kaede's face lit up as Rin asked, and she hurriedly got up to head into the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"How long are your parents' business trips this time?" Rin asked as the three exited the front gate of the Fuyoh house. "I heard your dad went overseas."<p>

"I think he's going to be gone for a long time, like three or four months." Kaede replied thoughtfully.

"Mom's schedule is so hectic; even she never knows when she'll be back." Kire shook his head.

"They think it's ok to leave a young girl and two boys alone like this?" Rin rolled his eyes at the thought of the social taboo.

"It just shows how much they trust you, Rin." Kire threw his school bag over his shoulder with a yawn.

"You think they trust me?" Rin queried incredulously. "Mikio said 'Good luck. You have my permission.' when he was leaving. I think he should be more concerned about his daughter's future. There are no boys around because we're living with you."

"It'd be so easy for you to get a boyfriend if you wanted to." Kire agreed.

"I think he's concerned about me a lot…" Kaede held her arms close to her chest, blushing slightly. Both boys were taken aback at this statement. "…Never mind. We should hurry up; I think we're running late." She started walking away quickly, as if she was hiding her flushed face. Kire shrugged, and began to follow her, with Rin tagging along behind for a bit, before stopping in front of the house next door.

"It looks like the houses on either side of us got new residents." The house on the right side had a genuine Japanese structure. On the other hand, the one on the left was a modern, European-style house.

There were ordinary families living there in the past, but both they and their houses disappeared one day. Four houses on both sides, a total of eight, just disappeared suddenly. No one knew why, but they just vanished into nowhere. When they'd returned from school one day, the houses were gone. Then the next day, the new houses were built in those spots.

Both houses were unimaginably huge. They looked like they could appear in a mystery movie. The whole thing was just like magic. In fact, the kids around here called them the "Magic Houses."

"It looks like it." Kaede assented. "I haven't met anyone that lives there yet, but shall we greet them sometime soon?"

"I don't know. I think they should be coming to us." Rin pointed out.

"I guess they'll show up as soon as they're settled in." Kire suggested. Rin nodded, and started walking again.

"I've been waiting for you, Tsuchimi Rin, Shirakawa Kire!" The earth shook as a baseball bat, embedded with nails, hit the pavement. It belonged to a student in a Verbena Academy baseball uniform…well, at least the uniform was a student's. He looked to be at least thirty, as he was already balding.

"My name is Magnum Sakai, from the Fuyoh Kaede Special Defense Force KKK, short for Kitto Kitto Kaede-chan!" The man stuck his chest out, proudly displaying the pin with the three letters stamped upon it.

"Um…are you really a high schooler?" Rin asked incredulously, as Kaede ducked behind him.

"Don't give me that crap, Tsuchimi Rin!" Sakai yelled. "Now, you two will fight me, for Kaede-san's sake!" He pointed down at the two boys from his stance atop a flight of steps, blocking their way towards the Academy.

"Yes, indeed…" Rin muttered.

"How do you feel, Kaede, being turned into a prize?" Kire asked, grinning sheepishly.

"Um…well…" Kaede just smiled awkwardly, holding her school bag in front of her in a defensive stance.

"No…more…**excuses!**" Sakai yelled, swinging his bat around and launching himself off the top of the steps, towards Rin.

"I'm sorry, but I've already devoted my body and soul!" Kaede yelled.

Time seemed to slow as Sakai flew through the air. He stayed in an attacking pose for a second, before uttering a surprised "Huh?" Realizing what she'd just said, the full weight of her words crashed down upon him, and the powerful Magnum Sakai crashed to the asphalt and rolled for a few feet, before coming to rest in a sobbing heap. His bat embedded itself into the ground nearby.

"Oh, sorry…" Kaede hastily apologized. "I meant 'I intend to devote'…"

"Too late, Kaede." Kire said, face in palm. As the trio continued their walk to the academy, one could just barely make out a gaunt little man hiding behind a telephone post, biting a handkerchief in anger as tears streamed down his face.

* * *

><p>It took about 15 minutes to walk from the house to the academy. Compared to the other students, they lived in a pretty fortunate location. They walked down the street in a hurry to head toward the school. The number of students increased as they approached the gate. Humans, Gods, and Demons, students from different worlds all head into this academy, all wearing the same uniform.<p>

Verbena National Academy. The school was established five years ago, and everything from the history to the building is new. The world changed dramatically after what happened ten years ago. This academy was established in order to adapt to the changes in this new world.

"The Opening" is what people call the incident ten years ago. The doors to the worlds of the Gods and the Demons suddenly opened in the world of the Humans. That's when people from different worlds started living together. The Gods and Demons use their magical powers daily, and prove to the Humans that this isn't a dream. Until they appeared, angels and devils only existed in fairytales and religion. Their sudden arrival changed the world dramatically in only a few short years. They quickly migrated in, and now it was no longer rare to see them.

Although Humans can't use magic, Alchemy has developed rapidly, which has forced the establishment of new laws. Nobody could have foreseen today's society. Verbena Academy was made in order to adapt to this unanticipated future. It's the place where Humans, Gods, and Demons learn together. There are magic classes, which teach about how to control magical powers, even to Humans. There are similar schools like it around the world, but Verbena Academy is their role model.

Suddenly, both boys felt strong pressure on their backs. Rin managed to keep himself from falling, but Kire wasn't so lucky. He toppled to the ground in a heap. Rin immediately knew the culprit. There was only one person around who would do something like this.

"Asa-senpai!" Rin shouted, turning around quickly.

"Hello!" A green-haired girl stood there with a nonchalant look on her familiar and energetic face, just as Rin had expected.

"Good morning, Asa-senpai." Kaede smiled.

"You guys are walking together again? You're always together, huh?" Asa asked.

"Are you jealous or something?" Rin retorted. Asa gave him an even harder slap on the back, and Rin fell to the ground next to Kire, who grinned, giving him a "welcome to the club" look.

"You guys are walking together again? You're always together, huh?" She asked again. Rin gave up, lying face down on the ground silently.

"Rin-kun, Kire? Are you alright?" Kaede asked with a worried look on her face.

"Rin-chan, girls are very sensitive. You've got to be careful what to say to them."

"I think I'm far more sensitive than you are, Asa-senpai…"

"Hey! As a guy, you should always be in your best shape in order to protect girls."

"I'm trying…"

"Well, you're not trying hard enough. I'll be going now. Don't take too much time, lovebirds. The bell's gonna be ringing soon." She winked at the three of them, and started to run away, but she came back quickly as if she had forgotten something. Reaching out, she took Rin's arm and held it tightly. He could feel her large breasts on his arm. "I'm sorry for punching you!" She smiled at him.

"What, no apology for me?" Kire asked, smiling. Rin just shook his head, amazed at how happy-go-lucky his friend was. Asa let go of Rin's arm and trotted over to him, reaching up to pat him on the head.

"There, there. I'm sorry. Better now?" Kire nodded. With a wave and a smile, Asa departed the scene for good. Rin was still taken aback by her movement beforehand.

"Wow, that felt… pretty good."

Shigure Asa. She was a year older than the three members of the Fuyoh house, and they'd known her since middle school. Kaede was a member of the cooking club, and that's where those two met. Rin and Kire met her later, and they'd been pseudo-friends ever since. She was a generous girl, and good at cooking, but…

"She's energetic, as usual." Kaede smiled.

"I think she has too much energy." Rin responded. "I always get exhausted just from talking with her."

"I can't believe she's the leader of the cooking club. She deserved to be on some kind of sports team." Kire agreed.

"Ahahaha…" Kaede let out a wry laugh.

"Aren't you joining the cooking club?" Rin asked thoughtfully. "I know they want you."

"I found something more important than joining the club." Rin couldn't say anything back to her, because Kaede had replied with that innocent smile of hers. He knew what she meant by important, and felt that he had no right to deny her opinion. The conversation ended, and the trio rushed into the school building.

* * *

><p>"Kaede-chan, come into my arms!"<p>

"Too bad, it's me."

"Rin… Get out of my face…" Itsuki welcomed them with his tight hug, as usual. Rin and Kire usually alternated shifts, but today was Rin's turn. It was extremely unpleasant, but it was better than having him hug Kaede.

"Will you give it up now? I'm sick of being hugged by you." Rin remarked.

"Hey, I'm sick of holding you guys every morning, too!" Itsuki said, a look of disgust on his face.

"Why are you so full of energy? How was the date with Beni-sensei yesterday?"

"I thought I was going to die." Itsuki pouted. "I'm athletically talented as well as intelligent, but I have my limits…"

"Athletic ability and endurance are two separate things, right?" Kire asked. It was small wonder that he could walk around all day and pick up girls. He has enormous endurance. Kaede was watching the conversation with an awkward smile on her face.

"Good morning, Itsuki-kun."

"Good morning, Kaede-chan. Your beauty is a crime. May I arrest you?"

"That is the worst pick-up line I've ever heard. Listen to what you just said!" A girl walked towards them with a disgusted expression.

"Good morning, Mayumi-chan!" Kaede smiled.

"What's up?" Kire asked.

Mayumi Thyme. Just like Itsuki, she's been the classmate of the Fuyoh family for two years in a row. She's a rare mix of Demons and Humans, and carries her camera around all the time while searching for scoops, even though she's not a member of the newspaper club. It was probably her straightforward attitude that attracted Rin to her.

"Those words are suitable to her sweet look." Itsuki retorted. "I'd say something sweet to you if your breasts were a little bigger."

"I will definitely, clearly, and vividly refuse that, thank you." Mayumi shook her head. "Besides, these small breasts are pretty rare. Having smaller than average breasts means I'm very special. This is actually my sales point!" She stuck her chest out with a snobby smile.

"M, Mayumi-chan…" Kaede smiled awkwardly. Rin buried his face in his palm, and Kire just looked confused. It's true that some guys are interested in small breasts like hers. But Rin still thought it was strange for her to be proud of them.

"Anyway, we shouldn't let Midoriba-kun anywhere near the new students." Mayumi said with a sigh.

"Hmm…" Itsuki's face immediately settled into a thinking appearance.

"I heard a rumor about them." Kaede interjected.

"You have new information?" Rin asked.

"I don't know much in detail, but they're coming tomorrow." Mayumi smiled. "They're both coming to our class."

"Hehehehe…"

"Both of them…?" Kaede asked, a look of uncertain astonishment on her face.

"Our school has transfer students often, but for this time of year, it must mean they're from different worlds, right…?" Kire asked.

"I'm pretty sure they are…" Mayumi agreed.

"**Hehehehehe…**"

"But isn't it strange to have two transfer students at the same time, in the same class?" Rin thought aloud.

"Yeah…it's strange." Mayumi nodded.

"Perhaps they both have a crush on someone in this class, and persuaded the school to let them be together…" Kaede suggested.

"That only happens in anime and manga." Kire said, waving her opinion off.

"He's right." Mayumi said. "It's not like we're living in some eroge."

"That's true…" Kaede agreed.

"**Hahahahaha!"**

"I wanted to ignore him, but he's starting to get on my nerves…" Rin sighed. "What is it, Itsuki? You're grinning like an idiot."

"If you guys are trying to keep me away from them, that means at least one of them is a girl." He said with a smile. "I'm starting to get excited! Encountering a new lady is always full of joy and happiness. According to my instinct, I think she's going to be a top-class lady."

"What instinct…?" Rin asked. As he sighed, the door swung open.

"**It's time for homeroom, guys! Butts in seats!"** The students hurried to their chairs as Nadeshiko walked in. Another day had begun at Verbena Academy.

* * *

><p>"In other words, the doors to the other worlds have opened several times in the past, before the opening ten years ago. This is said to be an explanation for many mysterious disappearances. That's how the Humans traveled to the other worlds, and left their descendants. We have an example of this in this class, as you all know." Nadeshiko stopped her lecturing to look at Mayumi, who gave her the "V" sign.<p>

Some Humans had entered the world of the Demons before the Openings. Mayumi was the child of a Human and a Demon. However, her Human blood dominated her Demonic blood, so she couldn't use any magic.

"Three years after the openings, the doors were closed temporarily, due to the magic balance of this world going out of control. If they hadn't closed the doors at that time, they could've lost control of regulating the magical power, and a horrible disaster could have occurred." Kire lowered his head, clenching his pencil so hard that his knuckles were turning white.

"After careful experimentation, the doors were opened again last December. It was a pretty big festivity, so I'm sure all of you remember it, right? Since the last opening, the three worlds are now permanently connected. However, the issue of magical power still persists. We still need to pay close attention.

"Anyway, this is the history of the doors that connect our three worlds. This is common knowledge, so make sure you remember it. If you miss this question on the exam, I'll make you hop around the track while carrying barbells." As Nadeshiko closed her textbook, the bell rang. "That's it for today. Eat your lunch and prepare for your afternoon classes." She then began walking out of the classroom. However, she stopped suddenly.

"Hey, Tsucchie. You probably brought the lunch that Fuyoh made for you, so you don't have to rush to the cafeteria, right?" She addressed Rin with a slightly concerned look on her face. "Come with me real quick."

"You need me?" Rin curiously followed her out of the classroom. "What do you need me for?"

"Well, it's not a big deal, but… Did you ever encounter a girl from a different world when you were little?" She asked, seemingly out of the blue. Rin was confused. "I mean… I just wanted to make sure." Her face suddenly changed, and she seemed very serious. "So, have you met any, or not?"

"I don't remember anything like that in my childhood. I don't think I was even aware of different worlds and stuff…" Rin replied, grasping for an answer.

"I see… What can you do, huh?" She sighed.

"Is there something going on?" Rin asked.

"Well… like I said, it's not a big deal… I think."

"It's unusual for you to be uncertain like this."

"Well, I've been having some headaches lately… Anyways, that's all I can say to you for now." She made a serious face and tapped Rin's shoulder with her hand. **"Good luck."**

"Huh?" was the only word that came out of Rin's mouth.

"Affairs of love are the symbol of youth. It's an unenviable path you take. So don't give up. I'll support you as much as I can." Her serious look was scaring Rin. He wondered what the hell happened that could have sparked this conversation.

"Sensei…"

"Listen to me. Be tough, all right? Be tough and survive. Don't give up your hopes." She left him in the hallway with those words.

"…Um… what do I have to be so tough about?" Rin muttered to himself, walking back to the classroom where everyone was waiting.

* * *

><p>School was finally over, and the time of freedom had at last arrived. Rin picked up his empty school bag and walked over to Kaede's seat. "Hey, Kaede." Rin said, causing Kaede to look up at him.<p>

"Hi, Rin-kun. Long day, huh?" She smiled up at him.

"You mentioned that we're out of rice." Rin recalled the conversation from breakfast. "Are you going to the supermarket?" He'd done a big grocery trip yesterday, but he would never have guessed that they were out of rice. He felt bad that she'd have to go out shopping because he'd forgotten.

"Yes." She nodded. "So you can go home ahead of me today."

"I'm coming with you. Rice is too heavy for you to be carrying." As expected, she shook her head.

"It's okay. I'm pretty strong for a girl." She half-heartedly flexed, trying to make her thin biceps stand out.

"That's good to hear, but I've got strength to spare. I need to use it, or I'm going to go wild. Besides, Asa-senpai just told me to work out this morning. So I'm coming with you to carry the stuff."

"No, you can't." Kaede refused. "Working hard for you is the meaning of my life. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for making you carry a heavy load." She puffed out her cheek in a defiant manner, replying with her usual line. Rin didn't want to compromise, because he didn't want her to go alone. Fortunately, Kire had a line ready for an occasion such as this.

"Then, how about Rin carries you in his arms while you carry the rice?" he suggested, raising a finger to accent his point. "That way, you'd be carrying the heavy load." It took a second for the idea to register in Kaede's mind, but she immediately became flushed and embarrassed.

"…What? What? Whaaaat? Um… What do you mean by that…?"

"We have a deal now." Rin took up Kire's idea and ran with it. "You carry the rice, and I'll carry you. I don't have a choice if you're not letting me carry the bag." Kaede turned red and started thinking. Rin and Kire exchanged signs of victory. They were sure Kaede was getting ready to concede.

She was always doing everything in the house, so they wanted to try to help her when they could. Kire had a part-time job at the CD store in the shopping district, so he had an excuse. Rin, however, being a freeloader, wanted to try to make her life a little easier. Several seconds passed before Kaede made up her mind and looked back at Rin with a red face.

"O…okay. We have a deal."

There was a long silence.

"**What!"** Rin and Kire chorused. What an unexpected answer!

"Umm…Kaede…"Rin replied, unbelieving.

"Let's go, Rin-kun!" Kaede smiled happily, picking up her bag and heading outside.

* * *

><p>"Are you up, Rin-kun?" Rin was lying on his bed, reading a magazine. He put it down by the bedside as he heard Kaede's voice from the door.<p>

"Yeah, I'm still up."

"Excuse me…" Kaede had just gotten out of the bath. He could still smell the scent of soap from her steamy skin. Itsuki would have jumped on her if he was here. Rin made a mental note to never allow him to spend the night at this house.

"What's the matter? Is something wrong?"

"No. I just wanted to tell you that the bathroom is all yours now."

"You took your bath kind of late tonight." Rin said as he looked at the clock. It was already past midnight.

"Well, Kire reminded me that the math assignment is due tomorrow."

"Assignment…?"

"I finally finished it up not too long ago."

"Our math teacher is Matsushima-sensei, right…? That teacher who likes giving us extra lessons…"

"Yes." Kaede's expression immediately became sad. "I believe we're getting a week of extra lessons if we forget this assignment."

"One week…" A death toll sounded in Rin's head. "That sounds right… After all, it's Matsushima… Kaede… I have a favor to ask…"

"That's what I thought, so I brought this for you." She handed him a notebook with a goddess-like smile. The only thing Rin knew was that he needed that notebook desperately.

"I'm glad I have such a kind childhood friend." Rin jumped up from his bed and embraced her tightly.

"What's going on, Rin-kun?" She hurriedly asked, a blush staining her cheeks.

"I'm just emotional with joy. Don't worry."

"You're being emotional, huh? Then I guess it can't be helped…" Rin wasn't sure what she meant by that, but he guessed she was fine with his action. She closed her eyes joyfully and accepted the hug. Itsuki would have killed Rin if he'd seen them like this. Rin doubly-noted that he must never let Itsuki into the house.

**Shuffle! Wishes**

* * *

><p>Another one bites the dust! This time, we see the introduction of the OC. I guess his story didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.<p>

Reads are great, reviews are better! See you next time!


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